It's 6AM, and boy you're happy to wake up! It's been a long time since you've slept for full 8 hours and you're feeling energized... ready to take on whatever life throws at you. You get out of bed and...
"Ouch!"
The soles and heels of your feet are in agony. You tried to shrug it off, but as the day goes by, the pain only worsens. You may have developed plantar fasciitis.
Specially-Designed Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis
Your shoes should fit well; have a firm sole as well as soft upper. You want to ensure that your pair has, at least, a 0.5-inch allowance between your longest toe and the tip of the shoe. Moreover, the toes should have enough space to wriggle upward. Here are some 'specifics' you need to keep an eye on when shopping for shoes:
- Stable heel counters
- Firm arch support
- Secure-enough closure system
- Midsole torqueing is kept at a minimum
The Orthotic Shop carries Vionic Shoes, which are perfect for people with plantar fasciitis. They come in many styles for men and women including heels, flats, walking, casual and even men's dress shoes. We offer Fast, Free shipping, Free returns and a 30-day money back guarantee on all Vionic Shoes.
There are open-heel plantar fasciitis shoes available. But if you can grab a closed-heel shoe, go for it as it almost always works better (in terms of minimizing pain) than open-heel footwear. If you prefer to wear sandals we have a huge selection that is perfect.
View All of our Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis
Sandals for Plantar Fasciitis
The Men's and Women's sandals that we carry for plantar fasciitis releif have similar characteristics:
- Biomechanically designed arches for support.
- Heel cupping to cradle the foot for improved stability.
- Sturdy outsoles for traction.
- Shock-abspobing properites.
At the Orthotic Shop, we recommend Vionic Sandals to people who need relief from heel, foot or arch pain. Vionic Sandals are made in many styles for Men and Women and also are shipped free and have a 30-day money back guarantee.
Additionally, Spenco Sandals with their Total Support footbed are also an excellent choice for plantar fasciitis relief.
There are many styles and colors available of plantar fasciitis relieving sandals so you will be able to find a pair that works best for your style.
View All of our Sandals for Plantar Fasciitis
Slippers and House Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis
We carry a wide variety of Men's and Women's slippers available that have built-in arch support or removable insoles that allow use of orthotics. These slippers are a good choice for those who don't want to wear sneakers or other shoes in the house.
For people looking for slippers, we recommend the Vionic Slippers for women and Spenco Slippers for Men. Orthofeet and Propet also make slippers that feature removable insoles and come in multiple widths.
View All of our Slippers for Plantar Fasciitis
Insoles for Plantar Fasciitis
Proper and strong arch support is essential for maintaining your feet's health and structure. Ideally, your shoes should have a removable insole, and you want a pair of properly supportive insoles and orthotics to go with your plantar fasciitis shoes. For the shoe brands that don't include insoles with arch supports, we have a wide selection of products that will fit into any shoe type.
The strong arch support afforded by these specially-designed footwear can help minimize the excessive pronation and relieves some of the pressure against the plantar fascia and Achilles tendons.
As for the insoles sold at the Orthotic Shop, the Vionic Insoles are very popular along with Powerstep. If you are looking for extra customization, we carry SOLE and Archmolds orthotic insoles which are heat moldable.
Night Splints And Other Products
There are therapeutic / rehabilitative products that can help with plantar fasciitis such as night splints, and compression sleeves:
- Worn at night, Night Splints gently stretch the ligament that supports your feet's arch and Achilles tendons. Moreover, they prevent your feet from getting stiff as you sleep.
- Night splints are a great treatment option to help fix the underlying problem as you sleep. The best night splint is the Ovation Hybrid Night Splint, shown below
- Lastly, specially-designed sleeves and compression socks help your feet by improving blood circulation through graduated compression. This goes a long way in stabilizing your plantar fascia and work with any type of shoe, slipper or sandal. We carry the FS6 foot sleeve which has great reviews.
We really like the Ovation Hybrid Night Splint. The Ovation Hybrid Night Splint combines the best of both types of common night splints to give you something that works and something that you will want to wear at night. The big bulky night splints get old after a few days and the small one piece designs really don't work well.
Getting To Know Plantar Fasciitis
While the not the easiest disorder to pronounce, this condition also known as 'Jogger's Heels' is one of the most common causes of heel pain. To understand the 'Jogger's Heels' better, let's have a brief anatomy discussion. So pay attention, class is in session!
Plantar Fascia - This is the ligament (a flat strip of tissue ), which connects the heel's bone to the toes. This tissue supports your foot's arch, and as usual with most supportive tissues, the Plantar Fascia Camera is almost always under a lot of pressure.
Overtime, the plantar fascia weakens, swells, and gets irritated. The repeated strain starts to take its toll - causing tiny tears in the ligament. This is when things get problematic - your heels or the bottom of your feet hurts when you walk or stand-up after a few hours of sitting.
The Causes: Going back to plantar fasciitis, this condition is most common among middle-aged people. But make no mistake about it: The 'Jogger's Heels' can occur to just about anyone - young and old, especially if you use your feet a lot like soldiers and athletes. You're more likely to develop plantar fasciitis if...
- Your feet are flat or have high arches (not much you can do about this)
- You roll your feet inward excessively when walking
- You are overweight ('round about time you lead a healthier lifestyle)
- Your shoes are worn and torn or don't fit your feet well
- Your Achilles tendons or calf muscles are too tight for comfort
The Symptoms: Understand, however, that not all foot pains are indications of 'Jogger's Heels.' Most patients who're diagnosed with the said disorder experience pain when they get out of bed or stand-up after sitting for quite some time.
Usually, the stiffness and pain mellow after taking a few steps, but it's also possible for the pain to intensify as you use your feet more throughout the day. For people with plantar fasciitis, climbing the stairs and standing for extended periods are nightmares as that's when their feet and soles hurt the most.
Can It Be Treated?: While there's no single treatment that works all the time, there are a handful of things you can do to reduce the pain and help your feet...get back on its feet. Here are some:
- Apply ice on your heels - this does a good job of reducing the swelling and pain. Alternatively, you can take over-the-counter pain killers (ex.: naproxen, aspirin, or ibuprofen) for instant relief.
- Give your feet a break. It's best to minimize the activities that hurt your feet like walking or running on hard surfaces unless you wear insoles, shoes, sandals or slippers designed to support the arch.
- After getting up from bed, perform toe, calf, and towel stretches.
- Grab a new pair of shoes. Pick one that fits your feet well, and comes with good arch support as well as a cushioned sole. Plantar fasciitis patients also find specially-designed insoles very helpful. If you plan to shop for footwear to help mitigate the pain and inconvenience caused by this hard-to-pronounce condition, read above for practical product recommendations.